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E. F. NORELIUS AND W. TURNBULL.

TRACTOR FRAME CONSTRUCTIQN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, I917- Patented Sept. 30, 1919.

INVENTORS Ema! F/VoreZazza WQ'ZZZ'QM 720725215 WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS EZMIL F. NORELIUSAND WILLIAM TURNBULL, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS,ASSIG-NOIBIS TO THE HOLT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA,.A. CORPORA -J TION or cnmromrm.

TRACTOR- RAME consmuc'rron.

To all whom it may concern v Be it known that we, EMIL F. Nonmaos, ofPeoria, county of Peoria, State of lllinols, and WILLIAM TURNBULL, ofPeoria, county of Peoria, State of Illinois, citizens of the UnitedStates, have invented new and useful Improvement in Tractor-FrameConstructions, of which the following is a spoolfication. I

This invention relates to tractor frame construction; and has for itsobject to provide a strong and rugged frame which will be light, simpleand economical.

The construction includes a main frame having its sides made up ofcomposite truss beams, each comprising a sill with a tiebeam disposedabove and plates or. Webs eX- tending between and secured thereto, thesills being arranged for support upon a truck mechanism at a pointintermediate their ends and .the tie-beams extending downwardly andforwardly from a point above said supporting connections; suitable crossconnections being provided between the sills and webs, near the front ofthe frame, to receive and support the motor and the cross connectionsbeing arranged near the rear of the frame between the tie-beams toreceive and support the .transmission mechanism.

One form which our invention may assume is exemplified in thefollowingdescription and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 shows a plan view of the main frame embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show sectional'views taken g n the correspondinglynumbered lines'of ig. 2. I

The frame comprises two longitudinal sills 10 of I-beam construction,connected together by cross-bars 11. Upon the sills is a superimposedframe, comprising longitudinally extending tie-beams 12, preferably ofangle bar construction, extending from the rear of the main frame to apoint near the front thereof, being through a considerable portion oftheir extent inclined downwardly and forwardly. Between the tie-beamsand sills are steel webs or plates 13, riveted to the flange of theangle bar above and connected. to the top of the ill-beam below byangular cleats 14.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3d,.1919.

Application filed April 27, 1917. Serial No. 164,977.

The tie-beams 12 are connected together by cross-bars 15, near-theirrear ends, and a longitudinally extending bar 16 is centrally arrangedupon thevcro'ss-bars and additionally supported and reinforced b a di- 7a onal brace 17, resting on a crossar 18 disposed between and connectedto the upper faces of the sills 10. The cross-bars 15 and thelongitudinal bar 16 form supports for the transmission and connectedparts of the tractor mechanism.

At the front of the frame are transverse I-beams 19, resting upon thesills and connected to the webs by suitable cleats or angle plates, saidtransverse-I-beams' forming supports for the motor of the tractor. Nearthe middle portion of the main frame are vertically spaced cross-bars20, in the form of angle bars, connected to plates '21, which in turnare riveted .to the webs 13 and to the I-beams-beneath. Diagonallyextending space bars 22 arranged in the form of ,a

cross are positioned below the cross-bars 20,

" and connected attheir ends to the web portions of the I-beams. Beneaththe I-beam sills, near the middle portions thereof, are

inverted channel bars 23 projecting at the sides to form connections forsupporting the ,main frame upon thetractor truck mechanism. Suitabledraft connections 24 are provided at the rear of the main frame, andconnected to the I-beam sills. Outrigger arms 25, at one or both sides,are connected to the webs 13, being adapted to receive and support arunning 'board or shelf.

At the front end of the I-beams 10 is a circle ring 26, secured inplaceto receive a turntable ring 27 to which the front wheels areconnected.

The superimposed angle bars 12 and web plates 13 stiffen the frameagainst vertical bending movement and form, in connection with the sill10, a composite truss beam offering great strength and rigidity. Thecross-beams 19, which support the motor, it will be noted, rest directlyupon the sills 10, whereas the supports 15 and 16 for the transmissionmechanism are connected to the tie-beams 12. This arrangement not onlylends itself readily to the required variation in the plane of thetransmission mechanism and motor, thereby eliminating bed plates andspacer blocks, but also relieves the sills 10 of a considera-be portionof the bending strains that would be otherwise present. The sills 10 areadequately supported and reinforced at their central portions againstrelative, endwise movement by the diagonal bars 22. The tie bars 12, itwill be noted, start to incline downwardly and forwardly from a pointoverlying the channel supports 23 and, therefore, the'long or forwardends of the beams 10 are stayed against longitudinal bending by what, ineffect, constitute angular braces which are effective both under tensionor compression.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the several partsherein shown and described may be employed without departing from thespirit of our invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. A main frame for tractors having its sidesformed of truss beams, each including a sill to support said sides and asuperimposed tie-beam, transverse bars at the front resting on the sillsto receive and support a motor, transverse bars at the rear connected tothe tie-beams to receive and support the transmission mechanism, andtransversely extending beams below the sills intermediate the motor andtransmission supports for supporting connection with the truckmechanism.

2. A main frame for vehicles having parallel side members, eachincluding a sill,

nameea a web plate supported thereby and, carrying a superimposed tiebeam, lateral beams for connecting the forward ends of the side membersand forming a motorsupport, transverse bars connecting the tie beams atthe rear of the frame for receiving a transmission mechanism and a pairof spaced and parallel cross beams extending across and beneath thesills and overhanging the same for connection with the runninggear.

3. A main frame for tractors, comprising parallel side rails, eachconsisting of a continuous beam, a web plate secured to the upper faceof the beam and a tie beam secured to the upper edge of the web plate,cross frame members rigidly connecting the opposite ends of the sills,cross bars connecting the webs at the forward ends thereof for thesupport of a motor, cross bars connecting the webs at the rear endthereof for the support of a transmission, and a pair of cross beamsextending transversely of, and secured beneath, the side rails andoverhanging the same to provide a support for the frame structure uponthe vehicle running gear.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

EMIL F. NORELI'US. WILLIAM TURNBULL. Witnesses:

F. T. MEEKER ROBERT W. GOTSHALL.

